A57970:555
Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters
Joshua redivivus, or, Mr. Rutherford's letters divided into two parts, the first, containing these which were written from Aberdeen, where he was confined by a sentence of the high commission ... partly on account of his non-conformance : the second, containing some which were written from Anwoth ... / now published for the use of all the people of God ... by a well-wisher to the work & people of God.Joshua redivivus, or, Mr. Rutherfoord's letters divided into two parts, the first, containing these which were written from Aberdeen, where he was confined by a sentence of the high commission ... partly on account of his non-conformance : the second, containing some which were written from Anwoth ... / now published for the use of all the people of God ... by a wellwisher to the work & people of God.
Rotterdam? : s.n., 1664
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To ROBERT GLENDINING [98]
My Dear Friend
Grace, mercy & peace be to you: I thank you most kindly for your care of me, & your love and respective kindness to my brother in his distress: I pray the Lord ye may find mercy in the day of Christ, & I entreat you Sir to consider the times ye live in, & that your soul is of more worth to you then the whole world, which in the day of the blowing of the last trumpet shall lie in white ashes, as an old castle burnt to nothing: & Remember that judgement & eternity is before you. My dear & worthy friend, let me entreat you in Christ's name, & by the salvation of your soul, & by your compearance before the dreadful & sin-revenging judge of the world, make your accounts ready: read them ere ye come to the water side; for your after-noon will wear short, & your sun fall low and go down: & ye know that this long time your Lord hath waited ⟨p. 198⟩on you: O how comfortable a thing shall it be to you when time shall be no more & your soul shall depart out of the house of clay to vast & endless eternity, to have your soul dressed up & prepared for your bridegroom! No loss is comparable to the loss of the soul, there is no hope of regaining that loss. O how joyful would my soul be to hear that ye would start to the gate, & contend for the crown, & leave all vanities, & make Christ your garland! Let your soul put away your old lovers & let Christ have your whole love: I have some experience to write of this to you: My witness is in heaven, I would not exchange my chains & bonds for Christ, & my sighs or ten worlds glory. I judge this clay-idol that Adam's sons are rouping & selling their souls for, not worth a drink of cold water. O if your soul were in my soul's stead, how sick would ye be of love for that fairest one, that fairest among the sons of men! Mayflowers & morning vapours & summer mist posteth not so fast away as these worm-eaten pleasures that we follow: We build castles in the air, & night dreams are our day idols that we dote on: Salvation, Salvation is our only one necessary thing. Sir, call home your thoughts to this work, to inquire for your well-beloved: This earth is the portion of bastards, seek the sons inheritance, & let Christ's truth be dear to you. I pawn my salvation on it that this is the honour of Christ's Kingdom, I now suffer for [& this world I hope shall not come between me & my garland] & that this is the way to life.